Review by Booklist Review
Cunningham (1883^-1976) made portraits of some of the century's most interesting artists, actors, and writers. Her admirers have long waited, however, for a book adequately showcasing her range as a portraitist and reproducing some of the hundreds of less-familiar portraits in her archives. Lorenz deserves high praise for ending the wait by bringing 220 intelligently chosen and sequenced plates to light. He contributes an informative essay, too, that takes Cunningham very seriously, as not everyone else has done, including herself, for she had a wry, self-deprecating humor and declined to self-mythologize. The "problem" with Cunningham was her versatility. She is not easy to categorize as a portraitist, for she had no formulas and responded to each subject freshly, posing them, carefully or candidly, sometimes in sunlight; sometimes in soft, controlled light; sometimes up close; and sometimes in a telling environment. Consistent are her genuine interest in each person's uniqueness, her strong sense of design, and her ability to use light dramatically. Even collections including every other Cunningham book should add this one. --Gretchen Garner
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
This sumptuous book, a tribute to one of the most talented photographers of the American West, includes over 250 beautifully reproduced portraits selected from the thousands Cunningham made over her long and prolific career. Cunningham was one of photography's earliest advocates of medium-format photography, and the flexibility of her small, twin-lens camera is clearly evident in the relaxed, almost spontaneous tone of her work. Cunningham's refreshingly informal approach results in a collection of open, honest portraits of the notable people of her time, including Dorothea Lange, Sherwood Anderson, Gertrude Stein, and Gary Grant. Along with the quiet dignity that pervades her work, there is an abiding sense of humanity and a touch of whimsy. Lorenz (Imogen Cunningham: Flora, LJ 5/1/96) furnishes a fine account of the artist's approach to portraiture, a detailed biography of her work, and a helpful time line. Essential for libraries with major art and photography collections and highly recommended for all others.Raymond Bial, Parkland Coll. Lib., Champaign, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
